Luz Helena Sarmiento Villamizar is a Colombian geologist,[1] and a former Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, serving in the administration of President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón.
The former Director of the National Authority of Environmental Licenses (ANLA);[2] a Colombian government agency in charge of licensing mining, energy, and infrastructure projects; she graduated from the Industrial University of Santander,[1] and previously worked in the energy sector.
On 5 September 2013, as part of a planned cabinet reshuffle, President Santos announced the appointment of Sarmiento as the new Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development.
[3][4] Sarmiento was sworn in on 11 September succeeding Juan Gabriel Uribe Vegalara in the post.
[5] She was succeeded by Gabriel Vallejo as Minister of Environment in August 2014.